Painless Meals will soon have a new home

Our Painless Meals posts are getting a NEW home in 2014! Now you can find all of our Painless Meals posts on our creative blog Reality To Dreams. Affordable, flavorful, 'painless' meals are still very important to me. When our blog turned a year old last Fall, I realized that there was a bigger picture to share and that painless meals was just one part of that picture.

We would love to take you with us!

If you enjoyed the posts you've seen here at Painless Meals, click over to Reality To Dreams and subscribe via email.

2013 was a wonderful year. 2014 will be an incredible year. I'm already dreaming up home improvement projects and fun daily projects for my young boys. I'm still determined to make buying food easier on hard-working moms, and of course I expect to learn a lot this year. I hope you'll join us - I'd love to hear your feedback at our new 'address!' Thank you for your support in 2013. You are the reason we're growing, and I hope you'll allow us to continue to connect with you!

Want to see our new blog??

Here It Is

4 Easy Steps To A Billion Clicks

How To Enter Your Clicks at BillionClicks.org

BillionClicks.org has counted over 3 million clicks from Clickers nationwide. I have my clicker, and I've clicked my first clicks from The Happiest Place On Earth! How do I submit my clicks to BillionClicks.org?

Visit BillionClicks.org.

This logo will appear at the top of their web page.

To the right of the logo you'll see the current number of clicks. Click on the blue button just below that says, "Enter your clicks." 

This will take you to an Account Sign-In page. If you're submitting your first clicks, you're likely looking for the yellow box with the heading "Not registered yet?" Enter your Email, Name, and a Password. Confirm your password by typing it again, and click "Register." Expect to see an email asking you if you'd like to join Billion Clicks' email list.

As a registered clicker, your Account Home screen will look something like this:

This Account Home screen is also where you can Enter Clicks! Above are my first clicks, as an example. Enter your Clicks, your Name and location as you want them to appear to the public, and an optional Short Note about your clicks. Then, click "Enter Clicks!"

The screen won't change, and you may not see a confirmation message. But, when your information 'disappears' from your form, you'll know your clicks have been entered.

Congratulations on submitting your first clicks!

Thinking Positive Is A Click Away

It's an honor to be a part of spreading the word about a small and simple device that is impacting over 3 million thoughts in over 40 states!

Once I knew it was in the mail, I could hardly wait to get it! When it arrived, I was too nervous to open it. There it sat, unopened. A moment of truth. Like trying on a new pair of jeans after the holidays. That moment when your perception of yourself meets reality. Once I opened the box, I would get a real look at the nature of my thoughts. What would I find?

As I sat in the passenger seat of our 'family wagon,' a clear and happy thought pushed me to open the box. I removed my pink clicker, and clicked my first click: we're on our way to Disneyland! I couldn't possibly fail while visiting The Happiest Place On Earth! Although a bit nervous, I was also excited to try it out.

    

The Clicker Kit

Singer, songwriter, wife, and mother Hilary Weeks says it all began

with a single click.

To learn more, click on the 3-minute video below!

Clicker in-hand I was ready to click "Two...Three...Four..." and into the hundreds! But I was stumped. In the back seat our boys squirmed, fought, and cried. Finally, I did have a happy thought. Click. Then, another. Click.

I clicked for a vehicle to drive, time with my family, and safety in our travels. I learned something about myself that was difficult to accept: positive thinking is not my natural response. What could I accomplish if it was?

Once we made it through Disneyland's gates the next morning our boys were still given to squirming, crying, and breaking down. The difference was, I'd spent a little time with the clicker!

I realized how often I'd allowed a negative thought to linger. I'm amazed at how a "click" pushed me to spin each negative thought into a positive one.

It's so simple, you look at it and wonder 'HOW it could possibly do anything for me?' But it does, and it's amazing. What an inspired campaign. Learning to refuse thoughts full of anger, despair, judgement, and sadness and open our minds to thoughts full of gratitude, happiness, and hope. Consider just how much of Life begins with our thoughts?

Thanks to Hilary Weeks and BillionClicks.org, I have

just after a few of our favorite Disney clicks!

Disneyland's Peter Pan's Flight

I'm loving my clicker. Are you ready for an amazing offer from Hilary Weeks and BillionClicks.org? Between November 1st and November 30th [2013],

• Visit BillionClicks.org

• Order The Clicker Kit for $11.95 + shipping

• Enter Coupon/Promo Code: AUDRA348

Receive a FREE clicker, wristband, and sticker for each Clicker Kit you order! This makes each clicker less than $6 + shipping. The Think, Click, Be book is a must [IMHO] if you're giving the clicker as a gift, and is included in The Clicker Kit.

Then, help us reach a BILLION clicks by entering yours at BillionClicks.org and receive a FREE digital kit with downloadable quotes, wallpaper, and more!

Don't miss upcoming Billion Clicks inspired posts. Choose your favorite way to Follow our blog before you go! 

Happy Clicking Everyone!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one of the products mentioned above for free in the hope I would mention it on my blog. Additionally, some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Fresh Baby: Our Healthy Eating Starts Now

I RECEIVED COMPLIMENTARY PRODUCTS FROM FRESH BABY TO REVIEW FOR THIS POST.

ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

How much water do we actually drink in a day? What is the right amount of food for a preschooler's plate at each meal? What about for our plate? How often do similar questions cross our minds? And how often do we bounce them right back out?! Does anyone else feel like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when it comes to food, meal planning and nutrition?!

The Dr. Jekyll in me strives for more fresh and natural ingredients, and balanced and wholesome meals. The cranky rebel in me [MRS. Hyde] resents doing math to eat and wants affordable, family-friendly, hassle-free meals!

Preparing meals that actually meet our bodies' needs can feel like a never-ending juggling act between the food we have in the house, the money we have in the bank, what we feel like eating, and what we ought to be eating.

I was recently introduced to Fresh Baby, a company dedicated to helping parents raise healthy kids and to making fresh and natural foods easy, convenient, and fun. I'm loving their blog Peas & Carrots HERE! I especially love that their recipes were developed to be convenient for anyone, regardless of income or location.

After using a few of their products over the last month, I'm excited to share our experience with you!

Get Moving

I love that Leap put his handheld game down to build his Let's Move Foam Puzzle! Just before I snapped a photo, he was reading the words along the outer edge: "Hide and Seek," "Hopscotch," and other Let's Move ideas. Ever since, he often invites me to play Hide and Seek. There's also a serious Hopscotch map in chalk on our back patio, with 23 squares! Coincidence? Could be. 

Kids In The Kitchen

Although Leap wasn't wearing THIS cool Kid's Apron at the time, it did prompt him to ask "what is an apron for?" We talked about the pictures and words on his apron, and how he could help in the kitchen. He was super excited to help! Props to Hubby for seizing an opportunity, and showing him how to carefully peel a carrot. Leap was very careful and focused, and quite proud of his accomplishment.

How much water should we drink in a day?

 I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL

Mom's Water Bottle

The real answer to the question above is, it depends. Our gender, season in life, physical condition, lifestyle and where we live all help determine the amount of water our body needs each day. [In general] Infants get all the hydration they need from breast milk and formula, while an adult man may need 13+ Cups of water each day. There are 8 fluid ounces in 1 Cup [US Cup].

Although not a substitute for a personal health exam from a medical professional, I found THIS article from MayoClinic.com helpful.

I had no idea how much water we actually drink in a day. Now I know it's at least 10-16 ounces. To begin with, I challenged Leap to finish one full 10oz. Kid's Water Bottle each day. Although he and his 2-year-old brother should finish closer to five for the 6-8 Cups of water they need, at least I know by how much we need to improve. I should finish at least five Mom's Water Bottles for the 9+ Cups of water I need. As these estimates are for water from all sources [including other beverages and food as well as drinking water] it couldn't hurt to note the results of a 'Pee Pee Test.' If your urine is light in color|colorless, it's likely you're getting enough water.

What is the right amount of food for our plates?

Here's where I confess, managing food portion sizes for my boys used to sound like

'fits in a small bowl'

'a small scoop'

'the size of their fist'

In short, I was 'eyeballing it!' For me, a portion was the amount of food I believed I could eat without feeling stuffed. I generally served Hubby 1½‎ times to double the amount I'd eat. That's about as calculated as portions were at our house!

I wish I could send every one of you THIS Kid's Portion Tip Card

along with a set of THESE 4-Section MyPlates.

How might knowing how much food your 2-8 year-old child should eat each day improve meal planning for you?

•

Could a visual Portion Size Guide have an impact on your meal portions at dinner?

•

Could filling his|her own plate change your child's attitudes about meal time?

Fresh Baby is sharing one side of the Kid's Portion Tip Card in a Free Printable
HERE!

Practice Makes Healthier

I'm practicing!

I haven't achieved perfect balance yet. But we are closer to eating healthier, feeling better, and understanding proper nutrition. Though terrifying, if it's true children's eating preferences are established by age 3 then I play a critical role in establishing the best habits and relationships with food possible.

Can you guess what surprised me most during our Fresh Baby product review? It was just how eager Leap has been to learn, and to do what Mom and Dad do. That is super exciting to this Momma!

For more fantastic recipes and ideas, and to join me in receiving their free newsletter Fresh Ideas hop over to Fresh Baby's blog Peas & Carrots HERE. 

Unique Gifts and Ornaments: Dixie Midwest

DixieMidwest.com generously allowed me to create a
personalized Christmas ornament free of charge.
The opinions expressed are my own.

While I was in Orlando, FL I found these super cute Mickey Mouse Christmas stockings for our boys! Which got me thinking about Christmas, and Christmas traditions. For the last few years, I've sent out a family Christmas card and|or letter, but I had never thought of making an ornament of our boys! I was quite excited to receive an invitation to personalize a Christmas photo ornament from DixieMidwest.com. They offer a wide range of Military, Wedding, Memorial, Disney Inspired, and Sports Teams Gifts you can personalize as a unique gift.

I had a hard time settling on an ornament! There were several really cute themes to choose from, like THIS Luke Skywalker Theme, THIS Pluto Theme, and THIS Pirates Theme! In the end I chose THIS Red Chevron Photo Ornament.

I'm confident you can rely on Dixie Midwest to package your item(s) carefully. Our unbreakable Aluminum ornament came very carefully packaged, and had it been their Bridesmaid Engraved Glass Jewelry Box instead I trust it would have arrived in one piece.

I was impressed Bennetta Elliott, Owner of Dixie Midwest, saw to it a hand-signed Thank You card was included with the simplest of orders.

Available in Lime, Orange, and Red the Chevron Personalized Photo Ornament is a fairly simple ornament---a 2"x3" rectangular ornament with rounded corners. I like that it's a very light, Aluminum ornament. I have a few ornaments that are so heavy I have to hang them from the thicker branches of the tree, often making them difficult to see.  

For the patterned side, I chose an initial and a year for the ornate frame. For the opposite side, I uploaded one of my favorite photos from Christmas 2012! I was pleased the photo on our ornament was true to the original I uploaded. I would have liked our photo to fill the photo side of the ornament. If I had the option, personally I would prefer to not see the Aluminum. With that said, I'm excited to hang this cute ornament on our tree this year!

Consider a gift you can personalize for Christmas, or a Fall|Winter wedding. Browse Dixie Midwest's products and designs HERE. If you're counting down the days to a Disney vacation, get yourself a cute Free Countdown Printable HERE!

Now, I'm certain you can think of 6 people who would love a Christmas ornament

with a photo of your cuties on it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do you have a fun Christmas ornament tradition?

Twelve Weeks To Christmas Begins

Welcome, welcome! I'm glad you're here! If you can believe it, as of today there are only twelve weeks before the month of December. It's time to cut the ribbon on our Disney inspired Twelve Weeks To Christmas Countdown Event!

Follow The Event HERE.

For more contest details, click HERE.

Twelve Weeks To Christmas Countdown Event

Nearly a month ago, I reviewed Julie de Azevedo Hanks' book The Burnout Cure HERE on our blog, and I am loving it.

One of my favorite chapters has been "Take Responsibility For Your Own Happiness." One of the paragraphs within the chapter, called "Reclaiming Childhood Joy," made me to pause and consider what brought me joy as a child. I made a list and scribbled down

As far back as I can remember Disney has brought joy, and a hint of magic and wonder into my life. As a sleep-deprived mom without a guide for how to care for and raise a person, mastering motherhood was all I had time for. And at some point I realized, an important part of motherhood is not losing sight of other things I love, and that bring me joy. Of all that makes me ME. 

I've accepted the challenge to bring an item from my list back into my life.

Our new Disney-inspired blog combines our passion for set decoration,
and our love of holiday celebrations and Disney. 

To celebrate, I'm joining with some wonderful bloggers for

Inspired by a dozen of Disney's popular toys for Christmas 2013!

Visit our blog Reality To Dreams every Monday, beginning September 9th. We'll reveal one of twelve prizes inspired by 'Disney's Dozen' most popular toys for Christmas 2013, and give you a chance to win! Our sponsoring bloggers will also be sharing a Disney or Christmas-inspired post with us! I can hardly wait!

For more giveaway details, click HERE. 

This is a blogger-sponsored giveaway and is in no way affiliated with

The Walt Disney Company, or any other brand or retailer.

Oh Sweet Sadie is a sweet night out

from Oh Sweet Sadie

Last night a group bloggers were invited for a sneak peek of Oh Sweet Sadie Art & Gift Show opening tonight on SoDa Row in Daybreak. Give yourself a few hours out of the house, head out to Daybreak, and just enjoy browsing the show. This Fall show has attracted so many incredibly talented vendors.

It's true I had no trouble finding fun things to bring home.

In fact, the challenge was choosing just a few!

The SWEETS didn't live to see the photo!

English Toffee, and Windsor Honeycomb | ASCOT ROYALE

Licorice Toffee | BERYLENE'S CHOCOLATE 

The Cars pillow case found a home in Boo's room.

I found some great prints I'm looking forward to framing.

The leaf garland found a home strung along the top of our kitchen hutch,

Felt Leaf Garland
Look for:  ALEXIS MATTOX DESIGN

Leap had so fun drinking ice water from a jar!

Flower Mason Jar Lid + Paper Straw from

Look for:  SPRINKLED WITH TLC

 I love that their Mason jar lids also come in fun colors, including these ones:

I'm also loving this sweet, hand-stamped reminder.

Look for:  FIVE LITTLE BIRDS

As you're browsing all of the FUN items mentioned above, also keep an eye out for 

• amazing NEW products | TURTLESCARF

• eye-catching signs | PAISLEY PALOOZA

• impressive business cards | ALEXIS MATTOX DESIGN

• a stage-worthy set | SUGARS AND SPICE

• adorable little girl's outfits and accessories [I found myself wishing I had a little girl at home to dress!]

I'd love to see what YOU love from the show!

30 Days of Halloween: 3 Things A Great Medieval Tavern Needs

It has certainly been an exciting Summer's end at our house. I had a lot of fun participating in a Party Post series! Then, it was a bit quiet here for a couple of weeks. We welcomed Hubby home from a tour of the world for Disney Infinity, and met Leap's fabulous preschool teacher. Exciting things are happening this Fall!

I LOVE Halloween. I couldn't miss participating in a 30 Days of Halloween series, hosted by Allison of Cupcake Diaries! I can't wait to see all of the wonderful posts this month!

Hubby and I love to create an atmosphere for Halloween, especially when we throw a Halloween party. 

Of all the Halloween props and decorations I've purchased over the years, I can only remember buying two items from a Halloween store. Two. For me, it's a challenge to find authentic, family-friendly props there.

Today, I hope to give you a feel for how you can use [mostly] common items to create a completely different era and location for your next Halloween party. Here are 3 things a great Medieval Tavern needs.

I had my eye on this round woven basket from Target for some time, and just before Halloween last year I found this one discounted! I also found this great faux fur rug at Target. Encourage your guests to stay a while by offering them a place to check their weapons.

needed wares

◊ large round basket
◊ fabric [we used a scrap of light colored linen]
◊ beans [nothing smaller]
◊ your prop weapon of choice

Because some of your filler will inevitably end up on the ground [when your toddler claims it for their own personal sensory bin and scatters handfuls like bird seed], choose a filler that's fairly easy to pick/sweep up.

We hinted at the basket's intended purpose by planting a few props of our own. Ours were made of cast iron, so we used our fireplace surround to help prop them up. The beans were primarily for weighing the basket down.

It occurs to me...a tavern full of innocent village people probably wouldn't be the place to swing your weapon and fine-tune your ogre slaying skills! But when your hubby makes video games, you sometimes find yourself drawing inspiration from them. Oddly, many virtual taverns have a target dummy! Admittedly, ours was a great addition to our decor.

needed wares
 ◊ thermal shirt
 ◊ sewing thread to match [thermal shirt]
 ◊ sewing machine 
 ◊ stuffing

 ◊ red Sharpie marker

 ◊ wood post
 ◊ [Christmas] tree stand
 ◊ nails
 ◊ rope
 ◊ tree skirt

First, I took the scissors to the thermal shirt, cutting the long sleeves short. For a more rugged/medieval look, I also cut the trim out of the neckline. 

Then, with the shirt turned inside-out I used my sewing machine to run a basic stitch along the bottom and the sleeves to close them up. I can't thread a needle without referencing the manual - you can do this.

Next, I used various round dishes as guides to trace the circles of the target with my red Sharpie.

With the bottom and the sleeves stitched closed, I stuffed our dummy with decorative dried moss to give it a lumpy look. Once he was adequately stuffed, I stitched the top closed from the outside.

What I love about this project is the dummy looks more authentic if it isn't perfect! If I were to do it again, I'd do all of my stitching with the shirt right-side-out.

A Christmas tree stand held the wood post up nicely. I held the dummy where I wanted it and Hubby tied it up with a rope. One nail to the back of the post kept the rope from slipping down. Finally, we covered the stand with a tree skirt and DONE!

We thought a good tavern would have a hearty stew prepared to warm the bellies of weary travelers. Inspired by the impressive Wizarding World cauldron tower [Universal Studios, Orlando] we collected a few cauldrons of our own. 

needed wares

◊ black plastic cauldrons [of varying sizes]
◊ long wooden dowel
◊ chalk/silver Sharpie/etc. to mark drill holes
◊ hand drill with drill bit roughly the size of the wooden dowel
◊ sturdy scrap ie. of wood
◊ black spray paint [1 can]
◊ Rust-Oleum Copper Hammered Spray Paint [2-3 cans] 

First, I spent some time stacking and re-stacking the loose cauldrons until I had a tower I was pleased with. Take a photo of it with your phone for future reference. Then, I simply held the dowel up at an angle that would line it up with all of the cauldrons. 

I marked roughly a| where the dowel would rest inside the bottom cauldron, and b| where the dowel would pass through each of the other cauldrons. Then, I drilled a hole at those marks. [The mark inside the bottom cauldron is not a hole. It's just a mark to help align your dowel.] 

Our inspiration.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Universal Orlando Resort

With the holes drilled, I spread the cauldrons out on a large and sturdy scrap of wood outside to catch the overspray, and to keep the lightweight cauldrons from falling over. Admittedly when I was shopping for paint, I was mesmerized by the copper hammered texture. Because you'll be positioning and repositioning your cauldrons on the dowel, consider a spray paint meant specifically for plastic with primer [for added durability]. 

As for the amount of paint you'll need, that will depend on the number of coats it will take to achieve the look you want. For me, it was 4 coats. I did flip them upside down to spray the bottoms, but I didn't attempt to spray inside. To help camouflage the dowel you can spray it black.

Once the cauldrons and dowel had dried, we assembled our tower! With the dowel aligned with the mark inside the bottom cauldron and using our reference photo, we slid the other cauldrons onto the dowel. Each cauldron sort of fits into the one before it, and the dowel is to keep the tower from falling over.

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Hubby and I had such a great time running our Halloween tavern! A special Thank You to Allison for the opportunity to participate in her 30 Days of Halloween series! Be sure to follow her series for more great posts HERE. Links can also be found below.

Happy Haunting